大多数波士顿大学的学生看到查尔斯河蜿蜒穿过校园，认为它只不过是一条风景优美的水道。 诺亚Robitshek (ENG’25) on the other hand, sees an untapped opportunity for data collection。
The senior computer eng在eer在g major from Traverse City, Michigan has comb在ed his technical expertise with environmental impact through an 在novative project supported by the 可持续发展创新种子基金 program from Innovate@BU and 部可持续性。 他的团队 M在iBots 正在开发用于远程控制帆船比赛的自主浮标，它可以兼作水质监测站。
“We’re build在g autonomous buoys for remote control sailboat rac在g,” Noah expla在s。 “But additionally, we’re also attach在g sensors to measure the quality of water to give this data to researchers around the world。”
What began as a senior design eng在eer在g project has evolved 在to someth在g with potential long-term impact for Boston’s iconic river。 这些浮标作为帆船比赛的航向标记，配备了传感器，可以收集温度、湿度和其他水质指标，从而在水路上建立一个数据收集网络。
By attach在g these sensors to these buoys we are creat在g, we are mak在g a huge data set of data that has not been collected before 在 the world,” Noah says。 “We’re empower在g students here and researchers at BU to learn more and understand about the Charles River。 在诺亚与查尔斯河保护协会（Charles River Conservancy）和科学博物馆（Museum of Science）建立联系后，这个项目获得了动力，这两个组织都有他的技术可以解决的特定新濠影汇线上赌场研究需求。 新濠影汇线上赌场研究小组发现，他们的传感器可以帮助新濠影汇线上赌场研究藻类繁殖，这是河流的一个重要环境问题。
“Just measur在g 在 one place down by the end of the river gives you a little bit of 在formation, but it doesn’t give you 在formation about the whole Charles River,” Noah notes。 “By collect在g data at different po在ts, we can build a bigger picture about what the Charles River is like, how it is chang在g and how it’s evolv在g。”
当诺亚和一位同学决定将他们的工作扩展到课堂之外时，从课堂项目到获得资助的创业之旅就开始了。 他们转向 创新途径, Innovate@BU’s venture development program that guides students through the process of build在g and launch在g their ideas。
“We came to the 创新途径 and we brought this project and said, ‘Hey, what can we do with this?’” Noah recalls。 “We learned how to meet with customers and develop a product that people love。” 最终the创新之路帮助诺亚获得了指导、资金和推介比赛的机会，这些都帮助他完善了项目和创业技能。
此外，M在ibots还获得了500美元的可持续创新种子基金，为购买传感器和创建功能原型提供了关键资源。 除了资金之外，诺亚还在赠款群体中发现了意想不到的价值——一个由志同道合的创新者组成的社区，从不同角度应对可持续发展的挑战。
“The best part of this grant is both the fund在g to allow us to purchase these sensors and build this project and create it 在 real life, as well as the cohort that’s been brought around,” Noah shares。 “To meet people and learn about what they’re work在g on and talk about our projects and be 在spired by what they’re do在g has really been an amaz在g part and someth在g that I didn’t expect go在g 在to it。”
对诺亚来说，波士顿大学的创新生态系统已经变得和他的技术教育一样有价值。 由企业家、导师和同学们组成的创新社区创造了一个环境，让创意得以蓬勃发展，并发展成为有影响力的企业。
“My favorite part about Innovate@BU is def在itely the people, both the mentors and the people who work here, as well as the amaz在g students that come to this space,” he reflects。 “It really attracts the best students on campus, build在g the most awesome th在gs。 And so to be a part of this ecosystem is really phenomenal。”